


two letters

by hyattdeath



Series: baggage [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Hurt No Comfort, prison break - Freeform, spies and assassions, this one is sad boys sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:09:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26449069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyattdeath/pseuds/hyattdeath
Summary: iroh is really wondering were he went wrong(takes place after chapter 18 of soulmates and all the baggage that follows that)
Series: baggage [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1901923
Comments: 3
Kudos: 71





	two letters

**Author's Note:**

> trigger warnings!!!  
> gonna be honest theres alot of missgendering but its half way because iroh doesnt want to share zukos secret with people who he hasnt aproved to tell and kano and ena also dont wanna tell people who zuko hasnt aproved to know

Iroh has been planning to break out of prison during the eclipse. His nephew's words of making things right by the eclipse sound good, but iroh knows that things will not be good in the palace for a while. Ozai wouldnt let him out; he would sooner hurt zuko again for suggesting that than let him out of jail. Zuko and him wont be safe and nothing would be right for a while. Not until he can dethrone ozai and put zuko on the throne. He knows zuko wont continue the war and maybe just maybe he can talk zuko into giving land back to the earth kingdom and helping the north and south pole rebuild. He knows zuko has lost his way but he also knows there is good in him. The stress from the battle of good and evil in him is apparent considering he sat in irohs cell and cried.

Hes been slowly melting the cell bars to make them weak and working out to get stronger. Hes been working hard to get his cell ready before the eclipse happens. The morning of the eclipse, the sweet girl ming, comes in and gives him some food. He hints that she should go home, hoping she will not betray him because of his strange behavior. She eventually gets it and agrees to go home. She looks shaken but iroh has faith that she will not turn on him when she says nothing to the other guard at the door. 

He knows piandao is near the gate about to break in while he breaks out but piandao wont start breaking in until the eclipse has almost started. He waits until he can feel the sun slipping out from inside him and stands up and jumps, grabbing the bars above and swings his legs out toward the bars in the front shooting a hot blast of fire at the bars and exploding them outward with a swift kick. Guards rush to his cell as he bust the door open with another blast of weaker fire. 

He can hear another commotion down below and knows that it must be piandao. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath as the sun disappears, he opens his eyes and grabs the guard closest to him and throws him into the wall. The others try to shoot fire at him and fail to produce even smoke. They turn and run as he advances, theyll be meeting piandao lower down in the prison. He heads down as quickly as he can tossing people into walls or knocking people out as he goes. He meets piandao near the front, hes fending people off with his sword, the two turn to each other, give a nod in acknowledgement and turn to leave the prison grounds together. There isnt a whole lot of people in their way and between the two of them they take care of them quickly.

The two get into the woods right as the sun comes back, they stop to catch their breath. Iroh smiles and clasps a hand on piandaos shoulder “nice to see you again friend!”

__________________________________________________________________

Piandao and him steal a war balloon. It is almost easy considering the base theyre kept in is on fire somehow. They get out of the fire nation even easier through the cover of the clouds, they head toward jeong jeong’s location and get there in a days time. Pakku and his group will be meeting them in omashu,where they will all meet up with bumi who had plans of taking his city back. They pick jeong jeong up and begin their journey toward omashu. 

They land the balloon close to the palace. Bumi rushes out to see them, his face is grim, he holds a letter in his hands. They get out of the balloon and walk up to bumi who hands the letter to him “bumi what is this?”

“You need to read it. It came in from the fire nation right after I took omashu back. They must not have known I took it back over and thought it was still occupied. Its important you need to read it.”

He opens the letter and skims it, his eyes widen “no, no, no” he rereads it again and again “this must be a mistake.”

Bumi looks away “Its not its got the official seal”

Piandao and jeong jeong give him a quizzical look, piandao speaks up “what does it say?”

Iroh cant speak, he can do nothing but stare at the letter still trying to comprehend it. Bumi is the one to tell them all “princess zuko tried to kill the fire lord and someone killed all the generals, and admirals. They think she had something to do with it all. Shes wanted for high treason. Ozai wants her dead on sight.”

__________________________________________________________________

Theyve been in omashu gathering their people and figuring out what to do next. Their plan was to help the avatar take the firelord down and put zuko on the throne, but now it is impossible unless they figure something else out. If zuko even is able to survive till the end of the war. If there even is an end to the war.

There is a knock at the door and although bumi, piandao, and jeong jeong are in the room with him and pakku had just sent a letter stating he was still a few days away, iroh lets them in. he nearly slams the door back closed when he sees who is at the door but instead he gets in a battle stance and lights his hands on fire. He can hear the others getting up and ready for a fight. The two at his door look unamused and haggard, but what does he expect when he finds two fire nation palace spies at his door “what are you doing here?”

Iroh knows only the name of one, kano, who was the head of the spies, the other one is unknown by name but iroh knows her face. Kano speaks up and holds out two letters. “Tell me men have you ever heard about the teapots?”

Jeong jeong lowers his hands “my men have heard a little bit”

Iroh looks back at him “what have you heard?”

“They are like us. A secret group opposed to the war. They each wear a tattoo of a teapot. Thats how they tell each other from others.”

Iroh looks back at kano and the woman, “Why are two palace spies a part of that?”

Kano chuckles “all the palace spies and assassins are a part of the teapots”

Piandao puts his sword back in its scabbard but keeps his hand on the hilt “why are you here?”

The woman speaks up “were here for our leader. He sent a letter for the leader of the white lotus. Princess zuko also sent a letter for her uncle to read.”

Kano holds the letters out to iroh, who is trying to not seem desperate to hear from his nephew. “The one with the green string is from our leader. So who is your leader?”

Iroh takes the letters sticking the letter from zuko under his arm and opening the letter from the teapots leader “all in this room are the leaders of the white lotus” 

“Even you?” kano asks. iroh doesnt answer instead he reads the letter, then reads it again. When piandao walks closer he shoves the letter into his arms and cracks open zukos letter. He can feel tears streaming down his face as piandao passes the letter to bumi who then passes it to jeong jeong. He looks at his white lotus brothers begging for help as a soft sob leaves him.

Bumi lays a hand on his shoulder “zuko is apart of the teapots isnt he.”

Iroh is unable to answer kano seems to take pity on him and speaks for him. “Princess zuko is a part of us. Has been since the beginning. Shes been helping the palace spies since her mother left and she knew what she was doing, she made her choice. She tried to kill ozai for us all and because of her we are closer to the end of this war.”

The woman crosses her arms “She didnt just try she almost succeeded. Ozai barely survived. From what we’ve heard in letters we intercepted while following the general. ozai has been forced to bed rest for the month. That along with all the teapots killing all the generals and admirals the fire nation has been dealt a deep blow. Zuko might have failed to kill him but she set the avatar up to come in while hes down and take him out. Ozai might still be weak when the comet comes.” 

Bumi squeezes irohs shoulder again before looking at the two spies “your leader wants us to help kill you all by your honor code. Did the princess know of this?”

Kano lets out a bark of a laugh “she didnt just know she thought it up.”

Iroh can feel a plume of fire leave his mouth as he yells “she is a child! She should not be agreeing to that!” 

The woman sneers at him “zuko hasnt been a child since the agni kai and then the marriage! If you are so concerned with her being a child then you should have stopped her along time ago!”

Kano grabs the womans shoulder pulling her back a bit “if you dont agree to kill her. Then she will be tied up and shoved in the middle of the ocean to drown. Do you want to let her die slowly and painfully or would you rather not let her suffer.”

Iroh shakes bumis hand off and goes to a chair and sits heavily. “Where is zuko right now?”

“Shes with our leader. She was going to run away and hide out till she knew ozai was dead. And if she survived failing to kill ozai she was going to find the avatar and try to teach them firebending. We havnt heard back from her on whether or not shes still alive but i can tell you the clothes we hid for her were gone after the eclipse. Were keeping our faith up that she survived.”

Piandao looks to iroh “she will be safest with the avatar, iroh. Have faith in her. Shes armed well i made sure of that when I last saw her. We can figure out how to get all the teapots out of this and continue with our plans. There has to be loopholes somewhere.”

Jeong jeong scoffs “you armed her before we even knew she was on our side?”

Anger flashes across piandaos face as he rounds on jeong jeong “you have never met zuko, the palace has always been very unsafe for her and i would not let her go unprotected in such a dangerous place. And unlike all of you I had faith in her! Zuko is not stupid and her loyalty has never laid with ozai but with what she thought was best with the fire nation and its people. If you would have all gotten your heads out your asses-”

“Piandao!” bumi yells as he shifts the earth under piandao knocking him back away from jeong jeong “this is not the time to be squabbling we need to stop and think about our next move”

Jeong jeong gives piandao a shallow bow “im sorry my friend i should not have questioned you. You do know her well. I should have faith in your judgment”

Piandao gives his own shallow bow “i will not apologize for what ive done for zuko but i do apologize for yelling at you”

Kano looks on, annoyed, “this is all nice and whatnot but are you going to do what our leader has asked?”

Iroh is quick to speak “no! We cant do that there needs to be a different outcome!”

Bumi frowns “iroh, we will try to find a different way to end this. But the fact stands if we need to we will follow through on their wish. It would be better to give them an honorable death than let them be drowned and left at sea. We all know how the fire nation feels about that. I made sure my freind kuzon was given an honorable death after he was killed fighting against his nation and i will make sure if i have to that these people also get honorable deaths after fighting their nation.” iroh opens his mouth to argue “no iroh. You will not argue with me. We all know I'm right and I'm the eldest one here. me and kuzon started this order and the fact stands that i have the seniority you will follow what i decide.”

Iroh hangs his head “ok bumi.”

Bumi turns to kano and the woman “we will do what your leader has asked of us. But we will also be trying to find a way around you all having to die. Iroh will be put on the throne like was asked by not only your leader but also princess zuko. Now please leave my town.”

The two turn to leaves but the woman stops and turns back around “general? If zuko is still alive is there anything youd like to say to them?”

Tears come to his eyes again and he tries to blink them away “tell them i'm sorry. Im so, so sorry”

The woman nods, turns back to kano and the two leave. Piandao goes and closes the door. He turns to them and leans agains the door heavily. “So what do we do now that we know what has happened?”

Jeong jeong sits back down “the letter asked us to take ba sing se back, that seems like a good idea. The fire nation considers that they have won the war after taking ba sing se over. But then theres also the whole sozins comet conflict. So should be take ba sing se back or go try to stop whats about to happen during the comet.”

Bumi strokes his beard “i think we should take ba sing se back and have faith that aang will stop ozai before the comet arrives. But i also think we should send people to evacuate towns and bring them to a bigger city where they are least likely to die. What do you think iroh?”

Iroh sighs deeply “i think we should do that. I think we need to wait for pakku though and get his input and then make our moves. After that we can start sending people to ba sing se. We can camp outside the city and then once the comet comes we take the town back.”

Bumi nods “I think thats a good idea. We wait for pakku and then take our next steps. Iroh you should go rest a bit. It will do you some good.”

Iroh nods and goes to his room in the palace. He lays on his bed and stares at the ceiling wondering were he went wrong in his thoughts of zuko. How had he never seen the signs of what zuko was doing. How had he sat there and turned away from him when all zuko was doing was good. Was the letter zuko was trying to give him explaining things? How could he have thought zuko had betrayed him. He felt like a terrible uncle. He hopes he can see zuko again and beg for his forgiveness.

**Author's Note:**

> this may have seemed like iroh bashing and its not like i just thought that iroh would probobly think he was a bad uncle after learning about what zuko was doing and not telling


End file.
